Manufacture of resins from 2, 3, 4, 5-bis(delta2-butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural



United States Patent i MANUFACTURE OF RESINS FROM 2,3,4,5-BIS(A BUTENYLENE)-TETRAHYDROFURFURAL John C. Hillyer and James T. Edmonds, Bartlesville,

Okla, assiguors to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware N0 i3rawing. Application January 3, 1952, Serial No. 264,836

18 Claims. (Cl. 260-67) This compound is a nearly water-white liquid having a boiling point of about 550 F. (corrected), a specific gravity,

of about 1.120, and refractive index n of about 1.5240 and an iodine number of 253. It is insoluble in water, ethylene glycol, dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide and dilute hydrochloric acid. It is soluble in acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ethanol, isooctane, vinylcyclohexene, isopentane, ethyl ether, toluene and nhexane.

One method for the production of 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural comprises the inter-reaction of 1,3-butadiene with furfural at a temperature of from 200 F. to 300 F. for from 5 to 100 hours under sutficient pressure to maintain the reactants in liquid phase. This and other suitable conditions and methods for making the compound are disclosed in the copending application of J. C. Hillyer and D. A. Nicewander, Serial No. 81,413, filed March 14, 1949, now Patent No. 2,683,151, July 6, 1954.

2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene) tetrahydrofurfural can be obtained as a by-product of an extractive distillation process involving the use of furfural as a selective solvent in the separation of butadiene from a butadiene-butene hydrocarbon mixture undergoing fractional distillation in a distillation column. In such a process the butadienebutene stream is contacted with furfural generally containing from 4-6 percent water. Temperatures in various parts of the extractive distillation system range up to about 325 F., and the total contact time of butadiene .and furfural in the extractive distillation column is sufii- 2,785,148 Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ice ciently long to provide for some appreciable side reaction, or condensation, of furfural with butadiene, and the concomitant formation of some 2,3,4,5-bis- (AF-butenylene) tetrahydrofurfural by-product. The magnitude of such extractive distillation operations is such that large volumes of furfural are in constant circulation in the system, and thus even a low conversion of furfural to the 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural provides large amounts of 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural that can be utilized as a starting material in the process of our invention. In such a rerun system the 2,3,4,5,-bis( A-butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural (by-product of furfural-butadiene reaction) is separated from the furfural, as a part of a tarry bottoms product, containing large amounts of resinous furfural polymer together with certain lactone products of furfural-Water-butadiene reaction. Separation of the 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene) tetrahydrofurfural by-product from the tar can be effected by-high-vacuum distillation. However, the tarry material itself can be employed as a starting material in the process of our invention. Exemplary of such tarry materials is one having a density of about 1.20 grams per cc., an acid number of about 15 mg. of KOH per gram of sample, and a bromine number (carbontetrachloride) of about 125. Such a tarry material often contains about 10 percent occluded water and less than 1 percent of furfu'ral, on a weight basis. Such a tarry material contains often about 10 to about 15 weight percent of 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene -tetrahydrofurfural.

According to our invention we have provided for the production of novel thermoplastic resins from 2,3,4,5- bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural, by heating the same at a temperature within the range 190600 F. for a period of from about 5-150 hours. Still, according to the invention, air-blowing of the aldehyde can be practiced. When air-blowing is practiced the temperature will be about 190-390 F. and the time will be about 5-100 hours.

When converting 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural to the novel resins of this invention, by heating alone, we generally employ a temperature in the range of SOD-600 F., preferably BSD-450 F. Often we prefer to react the 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural starting material while heating same under refluxing temperatures, at about atmospheric pressure, or higher pressures if desired. When employing a tarry material recovered from furfural as described above, as our starting material, we prefer to employ a temperature within the range of 300450 R, more preferably in the range of about 330-375 F.

When air-blowing the aldehyde reactant, we prefer a temperature in the range of 190-390 F., preferably 250350 F.

In carrying out the various embodiments of our process, we generally prefer to operate at about atmospheric pressure, although higher operating pressures can be employed if desired.

When producing the resins of this invention by heating the 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene) tetrahydrofurfural reactant, alone, a reaction time of about 10-150 hours is employed, or longer if desired, a preferred reaction time being in the range of about 50 to about hours. When employing air-blowing, a treating period in the range of about 5-100 hours is generally employed.

In various instances it is advantageous to conduct the air-blowing step of our invention in the presence of a suitable catalyst. Suitable catalytic materials which are applicable to this embodiment (air-blowing) include iron naphthenate, cobalt naphthenate, manganous acetate, manganese acetate, manganese nap'hthenate, manganese- Z-ethyl hexoate and the like. The amount of catalyst area-gas;

employed will be small; from 0.l to weight percent based on the starting material can be employed with from 0.5 to 2 percent being preferred.

When air-blowing, as described above, oxygen or suitable oxygen-containing gases such as, for example, air, may be employed. The amount of oxygen employed can be varied over a wide range. When using an oxygen- Containing gas such as air, an amount thereof suificient to provide from 2 5 to 250 volumes of oxygen per volume of starting material per hour will be adequate.

vIn carrying out one embodiment of; the process of our invention, is. heated at a temperature in therange of 25035.0 F.

. while at' the same time passing oxygen of commercial grade purity, i. e. about 90% or higher, or air, through in our resins are prepared by heating the aldehyde reac- Example 1 1 MA l t y e el r hy afurfu al wa heatedunder refluxing conditions at 392 Er for- 55 /2.- u s.- sm l Qt 1 s; nn y a z tar n ma r by' vacuum distillation provided a thermoplastic. resinwhich had a; softeningpoint of-170" E. Ball Method). The resin was amberin color. It was not visibly attacked by 24 hour exposure to aqueous sodium hydroxide. and was insoluble. in. isooctane. 'It

, was partially solublein-ethanol and wascompletelysolm ble in acetone. It wasimmediately attackedby concen trated sulfuric acid. The yieldof resin based on 2,3,41,5- bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural was 31.2 weight percent.

Example 11.

199 grams of 2,3,4,fi-bism butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural was heated at 400 F. for 142 hours atatmospheric pressure under refluxing conditions. At the end'of the heating period, unchanged starting material was re.- moved by vacuum distillation to provide 59.5 grams of a red-brown thermoplastic resin.

Example 111 A tarry residue, containing 2,3,4,5-bis(n -butenylene)- tetrahydrofurfural, recovered from furfural previously employed as a selective solvent in the extractive distillation of ,a C4 hydrocarbon mixture containing batches and butadiene, was heated under'reflux at 392 F. for 46 hours. A black thermoplastic resin was obtained which had a softening point (Ball & Ring Method) of 167 F. The a resin was not visibly attackedby 10% aqueous NaOH and was insoluble in isooctane.

It was partially soluble in ethanol and was soluble, except for a small'residue in acetone. The resin was immediately .attackedby concentrated H2504. The yield ofresinbased onstarting material was 90.4 percent. ii V 2,3,4,5-bis (A butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural Properties of the resin are compared with the properties of the starting material in the following tabulations:

'Resln Starting Material Softening Point 167? F 77 F. Solubility in', v

Isooctane Partially. Ethanol. Partially Soluble except for small residues. Acetone Solublaexcept for Do small residues, Effect. of-

10% aqueous NaOE, 24 No visible attack hoursi Concentrated H2804. Immediate attack".

Example IV 45.5 grams; of 2,3,4,5-bis(AZ-butenylene)-tetrahydro V furfural was charged to aflask equipped with a reflux condenser and heated to 302. F. Air was then bubbled:

through the charge at a rate of approximately l cubic foot per, hour: for a period of 93 hours. At the end of the air-blowing the. contents of the flask were black, and upon. cooling to. room temperature werevery viscous. Distillation of the reaction elfluent at 392 F. and 1 mm. pressure provided a black,' hard, thermoplastic resin. The yield of resin. based on starting materialv was 60.4 Weight percent. Y

In a comparative run 46.5 grams of 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural was treated under the same conditions described above. except that. nitrogen was employed instead of air. At the end of the .blowing the contents of the flask were still clear and substantially unchanged. Distillation of the reaction eflluent at 392 F. provided a small amount of light yellow fluid residue. The amount of residue based on starting material was 7.0 weight percent. J

Example V A run was made according to the procedure of Example IV wherein 73.3 grams of 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene) tetrahydrofurfural andv 0.7 gram of manganese naphthe: at n. mixtu e, he ew t sh t s to n air-blown for 40hours undertotalreflux conditions. At the end of the treating period the contents of the flask wereblack, and upon cooling to room temperature were very viscous. Distillation of the reaction efiiuent at 392 F. and 1 providedablack, hard, thermoplastic resin; The yield of resiu based on the starting material was 33.6 ht PFIP BF- Based on the .first run of Example IV, the present run represents 55.7 percent of the production of said run in 40 percent of the processing time.

Example VI This example illustrates; the preparation of a thermoplastic resin from tarry materials containing 2,3,4,5-bis (h -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural.. The tarry material employed was a polymeric'residue obtained-from a furfural sidestream drawn from an extractive distillation sys tem employing furfural as a selectivesolvent in the recovery of 1,3-butadiene from a C4 hydrocarbon mixture. This polymeric residuewas a brownish-black tarry material substantially completelyinsolnblein water, (about 5 percent being dissolved on prolonged contact with water), and containedabout 10 percent occluded water and less than 1 percent unreacted furfural; it hada density-of 1.20 gramsper cc., an acid number of '15 (mg. KDH/ gm. sample), and a bromine number, in C014, of 122.3. This polymeric residue contained about 15 percent 2,3;4,5-bis(A butenylene) -tetrahydrofurfural.

68.3 grams. of the material just described wasplaced in a round-bottomed flask fitted with anaircondenser and connected'inseries-to an ice-cooled trap and then to a Dry Ice trap. Thepolymer'was heated-to 293-311 a softening point of the original material was 77 F. and the softening point of the resin produced therefrom was 158 F. The yield of resin based on starting material was 84.0 percent.

7.9 gms. of water and 3 gms. of water insoluble liquid was collected in the off-gas traps. The water collected was present in the starting material and no detectable amount was formed during air-blowing.

Example VII 104.24 grams of tarry material containing 2,3,4,5- bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural, described in the preceding example was placed in a round-bottomed flask fitted with a water-cooled condenser connected to an ice-cooled trap. The material was heated to 293-311" F. and dry air was bubbled therethrough for 18 hours.

The softening point of the original material was 77 F.;

softening point of the resin produced therefrom was 122 F. The yield of resin based on original material was 91.0 weight percent.

9.04 gms. of water was collected from the overhead gas stream. The water collected was present in the starting material and no detectable amount was formed during air blowing.

In any of the embodiments of our process, the particular range of temperature and the length of heating period employed, will depend upon the selection of the starting material and upon the properties, such as hardness and softening point, desired in the resin produced therefrom.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and the appended claims to the invention, the essence of which is the production of novel thermoplastic resins by heating 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural at a temperature within the range of 190-600 F. for a period of 5-150 hours, now preferred embodiments being (1) heating the said 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural, alone, at 300-600 F. for -150 hours, (2) contacting the said 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural with an oxygen-containing gas at a temperature within the range of 190-390 F. for 5-100 hours, employing a catalyst under conditions and in a manner as described above, and (3) employing as the said 2,3,4,5- bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural reactant in either of these embodiments a tarry residue containing 2,3,4,5-

bis(A -buteny1ene)-tetrahydrofurfural and recovered from furfural, previously employed as a selective solvent in the extractive distillation of a C4 hydrocarbon mixture containing butadiene; and, said novel resins.

The novel resins of our invention are thermoplastic. They are resistant to the action of common solvents such as hydrocarbons boiling in the gasoline range, and they are resistant to the action of aqueous alkalies. The resins of the present invention have many potential uses such as for sealing dry cell batteries, for electrical insulating applications and the like. They are usable as rubber substitutes and in general for molded articles of a wide variety of forms and shapes which are resistant to wear and corrosion. These resins have softening points above about 113 F.

In this specification and in the claims the volumes of gas (i. e., air, oxygen, etc.) are measured at standard temperature and pressure.

We claim:

1. A process for producing a thermoplastic resin comprising heating a reactant material consisting essentially of one selected from the group consisting of 2,3, 1,5- bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural and a tarry residue containing 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural, the said tarry residue having been recovered, without removal of 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural found in the said tarry residue, as lay-product formed during extractive distillation of a C5 hydrocarbon mixture containing butadiene employing furfural as the selective solvent, at a temperature within the range of 190-600 F., until a resin is formed and for a period of from 5-150 hours, efiecting said heating of said tarry residue under at least atmospheric pressure and under conditions retentive of 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydroturtural, and recovering said resin as a product of the process.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein an oxygen-containing gas is passed in contact with said reactant material in an amount sufiicient to provide from 25-250 volumes of oxygen per volume of said reactant material per hour, at a temperature of 190-390 F.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said reactant ma terial is maintained under reflux at a temperature within the range of 350-450 F. for a period of 50-150 hours.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein an oxygen-containing gas is passed through said reactant material while maintained under reflux, at a temperature within the range of 190-390 F.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said material is heated in the presence of oxygen at a temperature within the range of 190-390" F., for a period of 5-100 hours.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is within the range of 300-450 F.

7. A thermoplastic resin formed by heating a reactant material consisting essentially of one selected from the group consisting of 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural and a tarry residue containing 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfura1, at a temperature within the range of l-600 F. until a resin is formed and for a period of from 5 to hours, the said tarry residue having been recovered, without removal of 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural found in the said tarry residue, as by-product formed during extractive distillation of a C1; hydrocarbon mixture containing butadiene employing furfural as the selective solvent, said heating of said tarry residue being efiected under at least atmospheric pressure and under conditions retentive of 2,3,4,5-bis(A butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural.

8. A resin product of claim 7 formed at a temperature within the range of -390 F., in the presence of oxygen.

9. A resin product of claim 7 formed by heating said tarry residue at a temperature within the range of 300-450 F.

10. A thermoplastic resin of claim 7, produced by contacting an oxygen-containing gas with said reactant material while maintained at a temperature within the range of 250-350 F. for a period of from 5-100 hours.

11. A process for producing a thermoplastic resin comprising heating 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural at a temperature within the range of 250-350 F. in the presence of a catalyst while passing an oxygencontaining gas in contact with said 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofuriural in an amount to provide from 25-250 volumes of oxygen per volume of said 2,3,4,5-bis- (u -butenylene) -tetrahydrofurfural per hour, and recovering said resin as a product of the process.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein said catalyst is manganese naphthenate, and said oxygen-containing gas is air.

13. A process for producing a thermoplastic resin comprising heating a material consisting essentially of 2,3,4,5- bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural at a temperature within the range of 300-600 F. for a period of from 5-150 hours, and recovering said resin from the resulting reaction mixture as a product of the process.

14. A thermoplastic resin product formed by heating a material consisting essentially of 2,3,4,5-bis(A -butenylene)-tetrahydrofurfural at a temperature within the range of 300-600 R, for a period of 5-150 hours.

15. A process for producing a thermoplastic resin comprising heating a reactant material consisting essentially of a tarry residue containing organic reaction products of butadiene and furfural in a mole ratio of 2 to 1, the

means.

attests rfis tuah tne bee ssa srsq-wi pw r m va f q as Q" .l' arp nqt found e a esidue. by A st ve dist l atio o 6 y Q l tainiug b utadiene. employing fur fural as the selective solvent, at a temperature of about 490 F., until a resin s armed o h lve rin 'so g Pa n of at ea about 160? eft'ectingsaid heating of said tarry residue uu-d atmospheric pressure and under conditions re ativwt he s id. Qtgauic reaction products. of butadiene and furfural and recovering said, resin as a product of PIQC1 r The Pr ess f r pwd na'a t st a es resin comprising heating at atemperature within the range of 190-690? F. for a period of from 5-150 hours, a nonresinous organic 'reaction product of butadiene and furfural obtained bysthe inter-reaction of LS- butadiene with furfural in a mo! ratio of 2:1 at a temperature or" from 200 F. to 300 E for frorn Ste 100 hours under sutficient pressure to maintain the reactants in liquid phase, a

and coutaining 2,3,4,5rbis(A -buteny1ene)-tetrahydrofurfur ai, and recovering said resin from the resulting reactiori mixture as aproduct of the process.

17. A thermoplastic resin product formed by heating at a temperature withiu the range of 190-600" F. for a period of 5-150 hours a non-resinous organic reaction product of butadiene and furfural obtained by the interreaetion of 1,3-butadiene with furfural in a moi ratio of sti ta q r t s s-5 butadieneeniployin g furfural as ftheselective solvefitg a i a temperature of about 400 to about 5Q0F.,' iiiit'il a resin is formed of ball and ring softening pointofat teas; about 166 E, effecting said heating of said tan-y res ue under atmosphericpressure and under conditiohs retentive of the said organic reaction products of but'ag of the process.

diene and furfurai and recovering said resin as a'product' References Cited in the file of this patent TE STATES PATENTS Herbolsheimer Oct. 4, 1949- O ER REF EN S Hillyer Ind. and Eng. Chem, Nov. 1948. Pages. 

1. A PROCESS FOR REPRODUCING A THERMOPLASTIC RESIN COMPRISING HEATING A REACTANT MATERIAL CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF ONE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 2,3,4,5BIS($2-BUTENYLENE)-TETRAHYDROFURFURAL AND A TARRY RESIDUE CONTAINING 2,3,4,5-BIS($2-BUTENYLENE)-TETRACHYDROFURFURAL, THE SAID TARRY RESIDUE, HAVING BEING RECOVERED, WITHOUT REMOVAL OF 2,3,4,5-BID($2-BUTENYLENE)TETRACHYDROFURFURAL FOUND IN THE SAID TARRY RESIDUE, AS BY-PRODUCT FORMED DURING EXTRACTIVE DISTILLATION OF A C4 HYDROCARBON MIXTURE CONTAINING BUTADIENE EMPLOYING FURFURAL AS THE SELECTIVE SOLVENT, AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF 190-600*F., UNTIL A RESIN IS FORMED AND FOR A PERIOD OF 5-150 HOURS, EFFECTING SAID HEATING OF SAID TARRY RESIDUE UNDER AT LEAST ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND UNDER CONDITIONS RETENTIVE OF 2,3,4,5-BIS($2-BUTENYLENE)-TETRAHYDROFURFURAL, AND RECOVERING SAID RESIN AS A PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS. 